Tag Archives: Problem of Evil

Ehrman’s Problem: He’s Confused About the Free Will Defense

Posted on January 24, 2012 by clayjones

Ehrman says free will defenders often tell him humans would be like robots without free will (11, 12, 197, 229). Well, of course they tell him that. Rightly! And on this point Ehrman never disagrees because free will is essential … Continue reading →

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Ehrman’s Problem 5: God Should Intervene More to Prevent Free Will’s Evil Use

Posted on January 23, 2012 by clayjones

Finally we come to what seems to be Ehrman’s major objection to the free will defense. He asks, “If he [God] intervenes sometimes to counteract free will, why does he not do so more of the time? Or indeed, all … Continue reading →

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Ehrman’s Problem 4: Why Won’t We Abuse Free Will in Heaven?

Posted on January 20, 2012 by clayjones

Bart Ehrman’s fourth objection to the free will defense is this: “Most people who believe in God-given free will also believe in an afterlife. Presumably people in the afterlife will still have free will (they won’t be robots then either, … Continue reading →

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Ehrman’s Problem 3: God Could Have Made Us So We’d Always Do Right

Posted on January 19, 2012 by clayjones

Bart Ehrman asks why God didn’t give humans “the intelligence they need to exercise it [free will] so that we can all live happily and peaceably together? You can’t argue that he wasn’t able to do so, if you want … Continue reading →

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Ehrman’s Problem 2: Free Will and Natural Evil

Posted on January 18, 2012 by clayjones

As I mentioned yesterday, Ehrman admits that free will can explain much human evil, but he asks how it can explain malaria, dysentery, drought, hurricanes, mudslides, or a “tsunami that kills hundreds of thousands overnight.” (12) In other words, how … Continue reading →

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Ehrman’s Problem: He Misreads the Bible and Impugns God’s Fairness

Posted on January 17, 2012 by clayjones

In his book, God’s Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question—Why We Suffer, Bart Ehrman makes the case that neither Christians nor the Bible can answer why God, if He were to exist, would allow “the … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics, Ehrman, Why God Allows Evil | Tagged , , , , , | 61 Comments

Disaster Is Always a Call to Repentance!

Posted on November 10, 2011 by clayjones

I need to begin with a qualification: I’ve been embarrassed when some famous evangelical leaders (no, I’m not going to name names) have blamed people for the disaster they’ve suffered through. For example, I didn’t agree with blaming 9/11 on … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics, Uncategorized, Why God Allows Evil | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

On Humiliating Satan

Posted on August 2, 2011 by clayjones

Since I teach on why God allows evil, I often talk about Job. I have learned that many Christians have missed a major lesson of that book, if not the major lesson. Although many rightly conclude from Job that we … Continue reading →

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Two Diminished Doctrines = Many Puny Christians

Posted on June 16, 2011 by clayjones

Sound the alarm and bar the door! We’ve been robbed! Two doctrinal jewels are missing: human depravity and the Christian’s glorification. But I wonder how many Christians consider them jewels? After all, who likes to talk about the depths of … Continue reading →

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